Kenneth
Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally…
Every Kenneth since 1880 — 1,289,312 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Kenneth
Kenneth is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #294 in 2025 with 1,148 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,289,312 American babies have been named Kenneth. Its peak came in 1957, when 28,145 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kenneth stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Kenneth year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,148 | #294 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,190 | #284 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,321 | #262 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,312 | #263 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,373 | #258 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,483 | #243 |
| 2019 | 7 | #13,132 | 1,623 | #233 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,671 | #225 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,766 | #217 |
| 2016 | 5 | #17,606 | 1,921 | #208 |
| 2015 | — | — | 2,033 | #198 |
| 2014 | — | — | 2,153 | #191 |
| 2013 | — | — | 2,177 | #187 |
| 2012 | — | — | 2,224 | #175 |
| 2011 | — | — | 2,217 | #170 |
| 2010 | 5 | #18,472 | 2,428 | #160 |
| 2009 | — | — | 2,612 | #151 |
| 2008 | 6 | #16,471 | 2,967 | #137 |
| 2007 | 5 | #19,091 | 3,108 | #135 |
| 2006 | 9 | #11,943 | 3,243 | #129 |
| 2005 | 7 | #13,756 | 3,368 | #122 |
| 2004 | 17 | #6,943 | 3,425 | #119 |
| 2003 | 9 | #10,872 | 3,643 | #111 |
| 2002 | — | — | 3,665 | #104 |
| 2001 | 6 | #14,457 | 3,907 | #97 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,067 | 4,152 | #94 |
| 1995 | 15 | #6,114 | 5,226 | #72 |
| 1990 | 39 | #2,928 | 8,262 | #52 |
| 1985 | 60 | #1,872 | 8,992 | #47 |
| 1980 | 81 | #1,487 | 9,608 | #41 |
| 1975 | 62 | #1,596 | 9,634 | #35 |
| 1970 | 106 | #1,111 | 16,800 | #25 |
| 1965 | 111 | #986 | 22,677 | #21 |
| 1960 | 93 | #1,128 | 27,701 | #16 |
| 1955 | 70 | #1,200 | 26,743 | #15 |
| 1950 | 43 | #1,398 | 23,813 | #15 |
| 1945 | 46 | #1,164 | 18,096 | #16 |
| 1940 | 54 | #975 | 15,132 | #15 |
| 1935 | 41 | #1,092 | 12,067 | #15 |
| 1930 | 86 | #756 | 11,705 | #17 |
| 1925 | 50 | #1,081 | 10,146 | #19 |
| 1920 | 36 | #1,296 | 7,840 | #23 |
| 1915 | 24 | #1,498 | 5,681 | #28 |
| 1910 | — | — | 880 | #43 |
| 1905 | — | — | 474 | #53 |
| 1900 | — | — | 279 | #90 |
| 1895 | — | — | 127 | #131 |
| 1890 | — | — | 72 | #189 |
| 1885 | — | — | 41 | #261 |
| 1880 | — | — | 32 | #297 |
Famous people named Kenneth
- Kenneth Arrow Economist · 1921–2017
- Kenneth MacAlpin Politician · 810–858
- Kenneth Branagh Actor · b. 1960
- Kenneth Waltz Philosopher · 1924–2013
- Kenneth G. Wilson Physicist · 1936–2013
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kenneth mean?
Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”) (modern Scottish Gaelic Coinneach), as in the surname…
How popular is the name Kenneth in 2025?
Kenneth ranked #294 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,148 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Kenneth?
1,289,312 babies have been named Kenneth in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Kenneth most popular?
Kenneth peaked in 1957, when 28,145 newborns received the name.
Is Kenneth a boy or girl name?
Kenneth is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Kenneth rising or falling?
Kenneth is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Kenneth?
Well-known people named Kenneth include Kenneth Arrow (economist), Kenneth MacAlpin (politician), Kenneth Branagh (actor).